Lesson 1: What is Simulation?

Time to complete Lesson 1: 5 minutes

The term "simulation" is used in different ways by different people. As used here, simulation is defined as the process of creating a model (i.e., an abstract representation or facsimile) of an existing or proposed system A subunit of the world separated by a boundary from the rest of the world. The description of the system is comprised of the relations within the system as well as those characterizing the action of the outside world on the system. (e.g., a business, a project, an organization, a facility, an ecosystem, a lake, a machine) in order to identify and understand those factors which control the system and/or to predict (forecast) the future behavior of the system.

Almost any system that can be quantitatively described using equations and/or rules can be simulated.